Lubricating oil maintenance cap assembly with thermally resistant shield

ABSTRACT

A lubricating oil maintenance cap assembly includes a cap having an outer side, and an inner side, a shield, anchor assemblies, the shield is applied to the inner side of the cap, and the anchor assemblies anchor the shield to the cap. The cap is fashioned of a first material, the shield is fashioned of a second material, and the second material is different from the first material and is more thermally resistant than the first material enabling the shield to thermally shield the inner side of the cap.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to tracked vehicles and, moreparticularly, to lubricating oil maintenance caps used to cap oilreservoirs of rollers of tracked vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A crawler-type or tracked vehicle is supported and propelled by anundercarriage assembly having an endless track entrained about a driveroller or sprocket, a front idler roller, a rear idler roller, and aseries of track rollers. The drive roller or sprocket is driven by anengine of the work vehicle which, in turn, advances the endless trackaround each of the front and rear idler rollers as well as the trackrollers to advance the work vehicle.

For an endless track to function properly, it must be properly tensionedaround the several rollers, and the several rollers must be properlymaintained to ensure they roll with the least amount of friction whilesupporting the weight of the vehicle. Tracked vehicles are heavy. As aresult, the rollers are prone to generate substantial frictional heat asthey are made to roll as the tracked vehicle advances. Excessivefrictional heat in the rollers can lead to roller failure and expensiveand time-consuming repair costs. Limiting frictional heat in rollers isaccomplished with a lubricating oil, which is applied to and maintainedby lubricating oil reservoirs formed in the rollers. The lubricating oilmust be periodically replenished, and periodically replaced to ensurethe oil functions properly, namely, that it reduces roller friction anddraws and dissipates heat away from the rollers. Contaminated or dirtyoil and reduced oil levels impede the ability of the oil to reducefriction and dissipate heat. Accordingly, proper oil maintenance inrollers is essential for proper operation of the tracked vehicle and tolimit unnecessary and time-consuming roller repairs.

The rollers of tracked vehicles are often fashioned with caps that closethe open ends of the rollers that lead to the lubricating oilreservoirs. These caps are removably coupled to the rollers, such aswith bolts or clamps, to enable skilled workers to access thelubricating oil reservoirs for facilitating the replenishment andreplacement of the lubricating oil in the lubricating reservoirs. Manycaps are now fashioned of transparent plastic to enable skilled workersto visually inspect the lubricating oil level and quality for quicklydetermining whether the lubricating oil requires replenishment orreplacement. Although implementation of transparent, plastic caps is nowwidespread, it has been noticed that the heat generated by the rollersof some tracked vehicles softens the plastic of the caps resulting inunwanted oil leakage and the necessity of having to frequently replacethe caps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the principle of the invention, a lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly includes a cap including an outer side and aninner side, a shield, anchor assemblies, the shield is applied to theinner side of the cap, and the anchor assemblies anchor the shield tothe cap. The cap is fashioned of a first material, the shield isfashioned of a second material, and the second material is differentfrom the first material and is more thermally resistant than the firstmaterial enabling the shield to thermally shield the inner side of thecap. The first material is a first plastic material, the second materialis a second plastic material, and the second plastic material isdifferent from the first plastic material. The cap is a single unitmolded of the first plastic material, and the shield is a single unitmolded of the second plastic material. Each anchor assembly includes acountersunk hole of the cap and a counterpin of the shield. Thecountersunk hole includes a hole and a countersink, the counterpinincludes a shank and a counterhead, the hole extends from the inner sideof the cap to the countersink, the countersink extends from the hole tothe outer side of the cap, the shank extends through the hole from theshield to the counterhead, and the counterhead is seated in thecountersink.

According to the principle of the invention, a lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly includes a cap including an outer side and aninner side having a recessed seat, a shield, anchor assemblies, theshield is applied to the recessed seat, and the anchor assemblies anchorthe shield to the recessed seat. The cap is fashioned of a firstmaterial, the shield is fashioned of a second material, and the secondmaterial is different from the first material and is more thermallyresistant than the first material enabling the shield to thermallyshield the inner side of the cap. The first material is a first plasticmaterial, the second material is a second plastic material, and thesecond plastic material is different from the first plastic material.The cap is a single unit molded of the first plastic material, and theshield is a single unit molded of the second plastic material. Eachanchor assembly includes a countersunk hole of the cap and a counterpinof the shield. The countersunk hole includes a hole and a countersink,the counterpin includes a shank and a counterhead, the hole extends fromthe recessed seat of the cap to the countersink, the countersink extendsfrom the hole to the outer side of the cap, the shank extends throughthe hole from the shield to the counterhead, and the counterhead isseated in the countersink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lubricating oil maintenance capassembly including a cap having an outer side, an inner side, and ashield anchored to the inner side of the cap;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the capcapping a lubricating oil reservoir of a roller; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of circled area B of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A typical and well-known articulating tractor useful for drawingcultivating implements for mechanized cultivating operations includes anoperator cab supported by a chassis, a front or leading end, and anopposed rear or trailing end formed with mechanical and hydrauliccouplings used to operatively couple selected cultivating implements asis known in the art. The tractor, a type of a tracked vehicle, is formedwith track assemblies operational for propelling the tractor. Typically,the tractor has four identical track assemblies including left front,right front, left rear, and right rear track assemblies, which aresecured to the chassis in a known manner. Each track assembly includes adrive roller, a front idler roller, a rear idler roller, and trackrollers as is known in the art, about which there is entrained anendless track. The various rollers are identical in structure but arenormally sized differently. As a matter of example, the drive roller islarger than the front and rear idler rollers, which are identical insize, and the front and rear idler rollers are larger than the trackrollers, which are identical in size. As known in the art, the driveroller is connected to the engine drive train of the tractor and engagesthe endless track to cause translation of the endless track when thedrive roller is rotated by the engine. The drive roller may have teeththat engage within recesses in the endless track. Alternatively, theendless track may have teeth that are engaged within recesses in thedrive roller. In either configuration, the drive roller can be rotatedin either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction to move thetractor in either a forward or reverse direction. In this regard, thetractor is driven by the endless tracks of the various track assembliesto advance the tractor. The rollers of tracked vehicles generate heatduring operation. The various rollers of the track assemblies areidentical in structure and each of them has an open end that leads to orotherwise communicates with a lubricating oil reservoir that maintains avolume of a lubricating oil, which provides lubrication to reduce rollerfriction and draw and dissipate heat away from the roller. It is to beunderstood that the specific construction of the tractor discussedbriefly above is not relevant to the present invention, and the presentinvention discussed in the balance of this disclosure may be used withany type of vehicle that is propelled using one or more tracks driven byone or more roller systems like that of the tractor discussed brieflyabove.

Turning now to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicatecorresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is firstdirected to FIG. 1 illustrating a lubricating oil maintenance capassembly 100 constructed and arranged in accordance with the principleof the invention is illustrated. Cap assembly 100 is used to enclose thelubricating oil reservoir of a roller of a tracked vehicle. Cap assembly100 is adapted to be removably secured or otherwise coupled to the openend of a lubricating oil reservoir of a roller of a tracked vehicle forclosing the open end of the lubricating oil reservoir for enclosing andsealing the volume of lubricating oil in the lubricating oil reservoir,and at the same time provides visual access into the lubricating oilreservoir for lubricating oil level and quality monitoring purposes.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 in relevant part, cap assembly 100 includes cap110 and heat resistant shield 150. Cap 110 is fashioned of a firstmaterial, shield 150 is fashioned of a second material, and the secondmaterial is different from the first material and is more thermallyresistant than the first material of cap 110 enabling shield 150 tothermally shield cap 110. Cap 110 is broad and disc-shaped and ofsubstantial construction, and is formed of the first material, which isa strong, hard, impact resistant, temperature resistant, chemicalresistant, and non-conductive material. The first material of cap 110 isa first plastic material, preferably a transparent polyamide 12amorphous thermoplastic, i.e. transparent PA 12 grade amorphousthermoplastic, having an inherent resistance to chemical agents,cracking under stress, and which has an inherent heat deflectiontemperature, i.e. a thermal resistance, of approximately 275 degreesFahrenheit. The terms “heat deflection temperature” and “thermalresistance” each mean a heat property and a measurement of a temperaturedifference by which the material of cap 110 resists a heat flowdeflection in response exposure to a heat flow. Cap 110 is a single unitmolded of the first plastic material and is, therefore, a unitary bodyof the first plastic material.

The second material of shield 150 is strong, hard, impact resistant,temperature resistant, chemical resistant, and non-conductive. Thesecond material of shield 150 is a second plastic material that isdifferent from the first plastic material of cap 110 and that is morethermally resistant than the first plastic material of cap 110 enablingshield 150 to thermally shield cap 110. The second plastic material ofshield 150 is a glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6/6 amorphousthermoplastic, i.e. a glass fiber-reinforced PA-6/6 grade amorphousthermoplastic, having an inherent resistance to chemical agents,cracking under stress, and which has an inherent heat deflectiontemperature, i.e. a thermal resistance, of approximately 400 degreesFahrenheit. The terms “heat deflection temperature” and “thermalresistance” each mean a heat property and a measurement of a temperaturedifference by which the material of shield 150 resists a heat flowdeflection in response exposure to a heat flow. Shield 150 is a singleunit molded of the second plastic material and is, therefore, a unitarybody of the second plastic material. Cap 110 is a sealing body 120 thatincludes an outer face or side 121 and an opposed inner face or side 122that meet outwardly from the geometric center of cap 110 at an outerperimeter extremity, which, in the present embodiment, is continuousmarginal edge 126 of a circular perimeter or perimetric flange 125.Flange 125 terminates outwardly with continuous marginal edge 126.Sealing body 120 has a substantially uniform thickness extending betweenouter and inner sides 121 and 122. In the present embodiment, sealingbody 120 has a thickness extending between outer and inner sides 121 and122 in a range of approximately 4-9 millimeters. In FIGS. 3 and 4, theinner side 122 of cap 110 at flange 125 defines a continuous, recessed,annular shield-receiving area or seat 127. In other words, continuous,recessed, annular shield-receiving area or seat 127 is formed in innerside 122 of cap 110 at flange 125. Seat 127 is continuous, circular, andhas a length, which is the length of the circle or perimetric shape ofseat 127. Seat 127 extends inwardly from marginal edge 126 of cap 110 toendwall 128.

Sealing body 120 has a bulged part, the part of sealing body 120 thatbulges outwardly from perimetric flange 125 to the geometric center ofsealing body 120, characterized in that outer and inner sides 121 and122 of sealing body 120 are convex and concave, respectively, extendingfrom perimetric flange 125 to the geometric center of sealing body 120.A depressed part the bulged part of sealing body 120, which is adepression 130 encircled by a raised rim 131, is formed in sealing body120 adjacent to perimetric flange 125. Depression 130 and raised rim 131are formed in sealing body 120 in outer side 121 of sealing body 120.Depression 130 formed in outer side 121 of sealing body 120 is encircledby raised rim 131. In FIG. 2, port 134 is formed in sealing body 120 atdepression 130 formed in sealing body 120. Port 134 extends throughsealing body 120 at depression 130 from outer face 121 of sealing body120 to inner face 122 of sealing body 120. Port 134 is inwardly threadedto enable it to threadably receive a plug to close and seal port 134.

And so cap 110 is fashioned of the first material, shield 150 isfashioned of the second material, the second material of shield 150 isdifferent from the first material of cap 110 and is more thermallyresistant than the first material of cap 110 enabling shield 150 tothermally shield cap 110, the first material is the first plasticmaterial, that is transparent, the second material is the second plasticmaterial, the second plastic material is different from the firstplastic material, cap 110 is a single unit molded of the first plasticmaterial, and shield 150 is a single unit molded of the second plasticmaterial. Because first plastic material of cap 110 is less thermallyresistant compared to shield 150, the first material of cap 110 cansoften and deflect when exposed to the inherent heat generated by aroller of a tracked vehicle. To prevent this, the more thermallyresistant shield 150 is applied to cap 110 to enable shield 150 towithstand and to shield cap 110 from the inherent heat generated by theroller of the tracked vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 3, shield 150 is a continuous, circular, perimeter orperimetric body having a length, which is the length of the circle orperimetric shape of shield 150. Shield 150 has opposed inner and outersides 151 and 152, and opposed inner and outer perimeter edges 153 and154 extending therebetween. Inner and outer sides 151 and 152 are flatsurfaces that are parallel relative to each other. Shield 150 relates toseat 127 formed by inner side 122 of flange 125 in that seat 127 acceptsshield 150. Accordingly, the annular shape a length of seat 127corresponds to the annular shape and length of shield 150. In FIG. 3,shield 150 is applied to seat 127. Inner side 151 of shield 150 is indirect contact against inner side 122 of seat 127 of flange 125, outerside 152 of shield 150 faces outwardly in the opposite direction andtoward the end of the reservoir to be capped by cap assembly 110, innerperimeter edge 153 abuts and is in direct contact against annularendwall 128 of seat 127, and outer perimeter edge 154 is flush withmarginal edge 126 of cap 110.

In FIGS. 1-3, in cap assembly 100 anchor assemblies 160 anchor andsecure shield 150 to inner side 122 of cap 110, namely, to seat 127formed in inner side 122 of flange 125 of cap 110. Anchor assemblies 160are equally spaced-apart concurrently along the lengths of flange 125and shield 150, respectively, and are each positioned between endwall128 of seat 127 and marginal edge 126 of cap 110, and between inner andouter perimeter edges 153 and 154 of shield 150. Cap assembly 100includes a sufficient number of anchor assemblies 160 to ensure thatshield 150 is anchored securely in place to inner side 122 of cap 110,to seat 127 of inner side 122 of cap 110. In the present embodiment,there are eight anchor assemblies 160, and less or more can be usedconsistent with this disclosure depending on the relative size of a capassembly constructed and arranged in accordance with the principle ofthe invention. Anchor assemblies 160 are identical. Accordingly, oneanchor assembly, denoted at 160A in FIG. 4, will now be discussed, withthe understanding that the ensuing discussion of anchor assembly 160Aapplies in every respect to each of anchor assemblies 160.

In FIG. 4, anchor assembly 160A includes two main parts, namely,countersunk hole 170 of cap 110 and counterpin 180 of shield 150.Counterpin 180 is an engagement element, a male engagement element, ofanchor assembly 160A, and countersunk hole 170 is a complementalengagement element, a female engagement element, of anchor assembly160A. Countersunk hole 170 of cap 110 is formed through the thickness offlange between endwall 128 of seat 127 and marginal edge 126 of cap 110.Counterpin 180 of shield 150 is between inner and outer perimeter edges153 and 154 of shield 150. Countersunk hole 170 includes hole 171 andcountersink 172, and counterpin 180 includes shank 181 and counterhead182. Hole 171 extends from inner side 122 of cap to countersink 172, andcountersink 172 extends from hole 171 to outer side 121 of cap 110. Morespecifically, hole 171 extends from inner side 122 of seat 227 of flange125 of cap 110 to countersink 172, and countersink 172 extends from hole171 to outer side 121 of flange 125 of cap 110. Shank 181 extendsoutwardly from inner side 151 to of shield 150 to counterhead 182. Incap assembly 100, shank 181 extends through hole 171 from inner side 151of shield 150 counterhead 182, and counterhead 182 is seated incountersink 172 and extends through countersink 172 from shank 181 toits outer end 182A, which is flush with outer side 121 of flange 125 ofcap 110. Shank 181 and counterhead 182 that define the male engagementelement of anchor assembly 160A fit completely within and completelyfill hole 171 and countersink 172, respectively, that define thecomplemental engagement element of anchor assembly 160A, firmlyanchoring shield 150 to inner side 122 of cap 110, specifically to seat127 of inner side 122 of flange 125. Counterpins 160 are part of shield150, and cooperate together to firmly anchor shield 150 to inner side122 of cap 110, specifically to seat 127 of inner side 122 of flange125.

As previously mentioned, shield 150 is a single unit molded of thesecond plastic material. Since counterpins 160 are part of shield 150,which is integrally formed, they are part of the single unit of thesecond plastic material that defines shield 150. Shield 150 ispreferably molded into recess 127 and counterpins 160 are formed andmolded in the respective countersunk holes 170 at the same time. Shield150 can be molded and formed on cap 110 via injection molding throughcountersinks 172 and to recess 127, or onto recess 127 and intocountersunk holes 170.

Outer side 152 of shield 150 is the contact surface of cap assembly 100that is applied to the open end of the lubricating oil reservoir of aroller of a tracked vehicle when cap assembly 100 is applied to open endof the lubricating oil reservoir of a roller of a tracked vehicle. Inthe use of cap assembly 100, outer side 152 of shield 150 of capassembly 100 is applied to a gasket applied to the open end of thelubricating oil reservoir of a roller of a tracked vehicle and capassembly 100 is secured removably in place, such as with clamps,nut-and-bolt fasteners, or the like. The gasket between outer side 152of shield and the open end of the lubricating oil reservoir is a sealinggasket to provide a fluid impervious seal. So installed, and with anappropriate plug sealed to port 134, cap 110 spans and closes and sealsthe open end of the lubricating oil reservoir. Having so secured capassembly 100 in place to the open end of the reservoir of the givenroller of the tracked vehicle, the tractor in this example, a volume ofa lubricating applied to the reservoir in the conventional manner andthe given roller is then prepared and ready for use in the operation oftracked vehicle in the normal manner. The transparency of the bulgedpart of sealing body 120 of cap 110, the part of sealing body 120 thatbulges outwardly from perimetric flange 125 to the geometric center ofsealing body 120, enables a skilled worker to see therethrough withoutinterference from shield 150 to enable the contents of the lubricatingoil reservoir to be visually inspected through the transparency of thebulged part of sealing body 120 of cap 110 for lubricating oil level andquality monitoring when cap assembly 100 is installed on the open end ofthe lubricating oil reservoir of the roller of the tracked vehiclewithout interference from shield 150, according to the invention.Because the inherent thermal resistance of the plastic material ofshield 150 is sufficiently greater than the inherent thermal resistanceof the plastic material of cap 110 to enable shield 150 to withstand theinherent heat generated by the roller of the tracked vehicle, shield 150between the open end of the lubricating oil reservoir and the inner sideof cap 110, specifically recess 127 of inner side 122 of cap 110,disables cap 110 of cap assembly 100 from directly contacting the openend of the lubricating oil reservoir, and the gasket applied between theopen end of the lubricating oil reservoir, and sufficiently thermallyisolates cap 110 to which shield 150 is attached from the inherent heatgenerated by the roller during the operation of the tracked vehicledisabling the plastic material of cap 110 to which shield 150 is appliedfrom softening/melting from the inherent heat generated by the roller ofthe tracked vehicle, according to the principle of the invention,thereby preventing oil leakage between the open end of the lubricatingoil reservoir and the plastic material of cap 110 to which shield 150 isapplied, namely, inner side 122 of seat 127 of flange 125 of sealingbody 120. Since counterpins 160 are more thermally resistant than cap110, being made of the second material different from the first materialof cap 110, pins 160 are enabled to withstand the inherent heatgenerated by the roller of the tracked vehicle for disabling pins 160from softening or melting thereby disabling the anchoring betweencounterpins 160 and the corresponding countersunk holes 170 from failingfrom heat exposure from the roller of the tracked vehicle which couldotherwise cause shield 150 to separate from cap 110, according to theinvention.

In the normal and customary operational position of the roller, thelubricating oil reservoir is horizontal and its open end is vertical,and cap 110 is vertically disposed such that sealing body 120 extendsvertically across the open end of the lubricating oil reservoir when capassembly 100 is applied to the open end of the lubricating oilreservoir. As the volume of the lubricating oil is readily and easilyvisualized through sealing body 120 without interference from shield 150as discussed above, the level and quality of the lubricating oil caneasily be visually inspected through sealing body 120. Port 134 isuseful for replenishing and replacing lubricating oil in the reservoir.To replenish the volume of lubricating oil when needed, the plug can bedetached, unthreaded, from port 134 to open port 134 to enablereplenishing oil to be applied to the reservoir through the open port134, after which port 134 is reclosed by reinstalling, threading, theplug to port 134. To replace the volume of lubricating oil in thereservoir with a fresh volume of a lubricating oil, port 134 is openedby detaching the plug from port 134, the volume of lubricating oil iswithdrawn from the reservoir through open port 134, a fresh volume of alubricating oil is applied to the reservoir through open port 134, andport 134 is reclosed by reinstalling the plug to port 134. Theseprocesses are repeated as needed.

According to the principle of the invention, a lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly 100 includes cap 110 including outer side 121and inner side 122, shield 150, anchor assemblies 160, shield 150applied to inner side 122 of cap 110, and anchor assemblies 160anchoring shield 150 to cap 110. Cap 110 is fashioned of the firstmaterial, shield 150 is fashioned of the second material, and the secondmaterial is different from the first material and is more thermallyresistant than the first material enabling shield 150 to thermallyshield inner side 122 of cap 110. The first material is the firstplastic material, the second material is the second plastic material,and the second plastic material is different from the first plasticmaterial. Cap 110 is a single unit molded of the first plastic material,and shield 150 is a single unit molded of the second plastic material.Each anchor assembly 160 includes countersunk hole 170, one engagementelement of an engagement pair, of cap 110 and counterpin 180, the otherengagement element of the engagement pair, of shield 150, countersunkhole 170 includes hole 171 and countersink 172, counterpin 180 includesshank 181 and counterhead 182, hole 171 extends from inner side 122 ofcap 110 to countersink 172, countersink 172 extends from hole 171 toouter side 121 of cap 110, shank 181 extends through hole 171 fromshield 150 to counterhead 182, and counterhead 182 is seated incountersink 172. In a particular embodiment, recessed seat 127 is formedin inner side 122 of cap 110, shield 150 is applied to recessed seat127, and anchor assemblies 160 anchor shield 150 to recessed seat 127.In this embodiment, each anchor assembly 160 includes countersunk hole170, one engagement element of an engagement pair, of cap 110,counterpin 180, the other engagement element of the engagement pair, ofshield 150, countersunk hole 170 includes hole 171 and countersink 172,counterpin 180 includes shank 181 and counterhead 182, hole 171 extendsfrom inner side 122 of recessed seat 127 to countersink 172, countersink172 extends from hole 171 to outer side 121 of cap 110, shank 181extends through hole 171 from shield 150 to counterhead 182, andcounterhead 182 is seated in countersink 172.

The invention has been described above with reference to illustrativeembodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges and modifications may be made to the embodiments withoutdeparting from the nature and scope of the invention. Various changesand modifications to the embodiment herein chosen for purposes ofillustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To theextent that such modifications and variations do not depart from thespirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within thescope thereof.

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms asto enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same,the invention claimed is:

The invention claimed is:
 1. A lubricating oil maintenance cap assembly,comprising: a cap including an inner side, the cap configured withfemale engagement elements; a shield comprising a single integral unitof a shield body and male engagement elements extending from the shieldbody, the shield body applied to the inner side of the cap; the femaleengagement elements extend into a thickness of the cap from the innerside; the male engagement elements extend from the shield body into therespective female engagement elements from the inner side of the cap;and the male engagement elements and the respective female engagementelements fit together anchoringly.
 2. The lubricating oil maintenancecap assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cap has a first thermallyresistant property, the shield has a second thermally resistantproperty, and the second thermally resistant property is greater thanthe first thermally resistant property.
 3. The lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly according to claim 2, further comprising thecap fashioned of a plastic material.
 4. The lubricating oil maintenancecap assembly according to claim 2, further comprising the shield moldedof a plastic material.
 5. A lubricating oil maintenance cap assembly,comprising: a cap including an inner side formed with a recessed seat,the cap configured with female engagement elements; a shield comprisinga single integral unit of a shield body and male engagement elementsextending from the shield body, the shield body applied to the recessedseat; the female engagement elements extend into a thickness of the capfrom the recessed seat; the male engagement elements extend from theshield body into the respective female engagement elements from therecessed seat; and the male engagement elements and the femaleengagement elements fit together anchoringly.
 6. The lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly according to claim 5, wherein the cap has afirst thermally resistant property, the shield has a second thermallyresistant property, and the second thermally resistant property isgreater than the first thermally resistant property.
 7. The lubricatingoil maintenance cap assembly according to claim 6, further comprisingthe cap fashioned of a plastic material.
 8. The lubricating oilmaintenance cap assembly according to claim 6, further comprising theshield molded of a plastic material.